Such comminuting devices are increasingly being employed in the recovery of raw materials. In particular, this may involve composite materials such as occur for example in the preparation for recycling of electric and electronic appliances or components, recycling monomaterials of ferrous metals, non-ferrous metals, synthetics or wood, fractions from other preceding coarse comminution processes in the recycling industry, or slags from processes of combustion.
A generic comminuting device is disclosed for example in EP 0,606,891 B1. This comminuting device includes a comminution chamber in which a rotor with vertical shaft is arranged. To this vertical shaft, immediately neighboring upon the bottom wall of the comminution chamber, two chains are attached as comminution elements. The comminution chamber is charged with material to be comminuted through an opening provided in the vicinity of its ceiling. When the material has been comminuted to the desired extent, a trap arranged in the circumferential wall of the comminution chamber near the bottom wall is opened to discharge the comminuted material. A disadvantage of this known comminuting device is that the material to be comminuted can only be comminuted batchwise, i.e. that the process of comminution is discontinuous.
Consideration is now being given to ways of improving comminuting devices and process. In particular, attention is directed to comminuting devices and processes that can be operated continuously.